


Are You Batty?

by Kristina_Moon



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: F/M, Major Death since he's undead, Modern Universe, Spoilers maybe, Vampire AU, college kids
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-01
Updated: 2016-02-16
Packaged: 2018-04-29 07:30:17
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 12,741
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5120126
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kristina_Moon/pseuds/Kristina_Moon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Levi Ackerman is a highly decorated police officer known as Humanities Finest.  Eren Jaeger is a college student.  Levi is also a vampire who has been making nightly visits to said college student.  He is trying to change her to her core and Eren objects to being 'chosen' and not given a proper chance to say whether she agrees to this or not.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Introductions

**Author's Note:**

> My Tumblr is seaturtlebay.tumblr.com  
> Tracking tag "Fic: AreYouBatty?"
> 
> Okay so it's Halloween and I've decided to give you another fic only this fic is getting long (again) and I want to do more chapters since I like where it's going. Here's chapter one. 
> 
> I hope you enjoy it:)

Chapter One: Introductions.

Eren wakes to a hot mouth running its equally hot tongue over her jugular. Soft kisses make their way down her throat to her collar bone. She murmurs into them saying, “Jean, that feels wonderful!” A stern looks catches her gaze as she bolts upright asking, “Who the hell are you?”

A dark chuckle exits his lips as he says, “You're new mate, love.”

“My new mate? I don't want nor need a new mate, thank you very much. Now leave before I call the police.”

“No can do, sweet thing. You are a fine piece of ass and I intend to make you mine.” Oh, the nerve of this asshole, thinking he can break into her room and take what he's not been offered. 

Eren reaches for her phone on the nightstand beside the bed only to find the cradle empty. 

“Looking for this,” the man with the dark eyes and even darker hair asks with a purr. 

Eren is momentarily surprised then shouts, “Get the hell out of my bedroom!”

“Who's Jean,” the man asks as his devious eyes scan the honey-tanned skin before him. “You seemed to appreciate me when you thought I were he.”

“None of your business, jerk. Now get out!” 

Eren's stern eyes leave little room for argument so the raven says, “I shall call on you again, my love. Take care.” As Eren watches, the man turns into a bat and flies out her window. She blinks a couple of times then there's a knock on her door.

A timid voice calls out saying, “Eren, are you alright in there? I thought I heard voices.”

Ah, her best friend in the entire world is at her door. “It's okay, Armin. Just a nightmare,” Eren states knowing full well that no one can change into a bat and fly out a window. A moment later a shiver runs down Eren's spine so she heads for the window and closes it tight, locking the chilly October air out.

Later that morning at breakfast, Armin notices Eren's sluggish appearance. “Are you alright, Eren? You're not your usual perky self.”

“Just tired, I guess. Hey, Armin, when was the last time you seen Jean Kirstein?”

“Kirstein? No idea. A couple of years probably. You're not still hung up on him, are you?”

“I don't think so but he was in my dream...or at least I think he was but his eyes were much darker than I remember.”

“Probably contacts,” Armin adds with a shrug.

“Yeah, maybe.”

“Good morning you two,” Mikasa adds while coming into the kitchen. “Wow, Eren, you don't look so well. Are you feeling alright?”

“She had a nightmare about Jean Kirstein,” Armin offers. 

“Yep, he'll give anyone nightmares,” Mikasa chimes as she takes a sip from her coffee mug.

“I'm not sure if it was about Kirstein,” Eren states again. “He seemed suave and very sexy.”

“You call that a nightmare,” Mikasa asks. “Sounds more like porn.”

“Well, he also turned into a bat and flew out my window,” Eren adds while taking a sip of her orange juice. “Listen, I think I'll call off sick today. I'm really not feeling so hot.”

“Okay, see ya later,” Mikasa adds as she grabs a pastry and heads for the door. “Coming, Armin?”

“Just a sec,” he says while pulling on his jacket. “Get some rest, Eren. I'll call to check on you later.”

Once they're gone, Eren does head back up to her room. She pulls the heavy comforter over her head and falls fast to sleep. Around noon she wakes again and heads for the local grocers to get a few things. While there, she feels a eerie feeling...like she's being watched. She looks about herself yet sees nothing out of the ordinary.

She heads to the front of the store with her couple of items then distinctly feels eyes on her...over her...caressing her as she bares her neck to the cashier. “Miss, are you alright?” a soft voice asks.

“Yes, sorry. Just a bit under the weather,” Eren adds while placing her items on the conveyor belt. When her items are bagged and paid for, Eren gets her keys out and heads for the door. She approaches her car and is about to unlock the door when she drops the keys. A pale hand reaches out and scoops them up, holding them out for her. “Thank you,” she begins to say as she looks at the man before her. 

“Anytime, love,” he says and the sound of his voice sends shivers down her spine. She gasps. Those eyes...that voice...it's the man from her dream!

She stares at him blankly, trying to get her bearings. “Have...have we met?” she asks as her brow furrows.

“Not formally,” the man adds with a smirk, “I'm Levi. And you are?”

“Eren,” she offers but she is certain he already knows that. “Eren Jaeger.”

“Well, Eren, be careful driving home. There are a great many crazies on the road,” he adds while holding on to her keys a moment longer than necessary. She watches as he turns and walks away from her. Nice build, great ass...she sighs to herself. She continues to watch as he gets on his motorcycle and rides away without another glance in her direction. She smiles to herself wondering what it would be like to be with a man like that.

After classes are through for the day, Armin heads back home. He and Mikasa pull into a drive-threw to get something to eat. They order for Eren also, but not too much since she never eats much when she's not feeling well.

“Eren, we're back,” Mikasa announces once they return. There's no answer. “Eren,” she calls as she heads up the stairs. She knocks but there's still no answer. After entering, she sees a sweaty Eren tossing and turning in her blankets as she fights through another nightmare. “Eren, wake up,” Mikasa commands a moment later while shaking her friend's arm.

She wakes with a start and looks up wide eyed at her friend saying, “I saw him again.”

“Saw who? Kirstein?”

“What? Hell no. I saw the man from my dreams. He said his name is Levi. Alabaster skin, jet black hair, grey eyes. God, he's gorgeous! Mikasa, I think I'm in love!” she adds frantically.

“What? In love? You, Eren, wow, this man I've got to meet,” she adds softly.

“He's perfect, Mikasa.”

“And what makes him so perfect?”

“I...I don't know. He just is,” she says with a smile. Mikasa nods. 

“Well, the next time you see him, say, 'Hi,' from us, okay?”

Eren laughs but nods her head.

“Eren, Mikasa, dinner's getting cold,” Armin shouts up the stairs.

“Dinner?”

“Yeah, I forgot to tell you, we stopped at Arby's on the way home.”

“Did you get me a Jamocha shake?”

“Of course,” Mikasa adds and laughs as Eren nearly plows her over to get to it.

*

Eren still attends her night class. It only meets once a week so skipping it is not an option. Professor Zoe is late, again, but has a good excuse this time. “Nocturnal creatures are all around us,” the professor states, “especially this time of year. So I've brought you a noted expert on the subject...Captain Ackerman.”

The name catches Eren's attention since her friend Mikasa has the same last name. She looks up and sees a very stern figure, approximately 5' 3” tall and wearing a rather nice suit. His grey eyes scan the classroom as he states, “Professor Zoe is correct. Nocturnal creatures are all around us. And Hallowe'en is when they roam the night the most freely. It is their...” he stops abruptly when his eyes land on one particular creature with messy brown hair and the most intriguing eyes. “Miss Jaeger, I require your assistance,” the man says a moment later.

“Me?”

“Yes, Miss Jaeger. Would you join me at the front of the class for a moment for a demonstration?” Eren rises to her feet. He phrased it as a request yet she heard it as a command...something to be followed for her safety and his alike. “Please stand facing me and relax,” he says with an easy smile. “Now students, as we all know, you should always be mindful of strangers. But what if you're distracted by a pretty face or a sexy voice?” He looks around then says, “Try to attack me, Miss Jaeger.”

She looks shocked at first but this is a woman's self defense class after all. She gets into her predatory mind set and lunges at the Captain. She is quick but fortunately Levi is quicker. He takes her down without harming a hair on her head. 

There are several who gasp since his moves are so swift. He smiles down at her asking, “What did she do wrong?”

“First, she gave several visual clues,” one of the woman states. “She crotched...”

“And growled,” another adds.

“Plus her expression changed,” a third adds.

“Yes, she made it well known that she intended to attack me,” the Captain admits. He helps Eren up then says, “Now, Miss Jaeger, it is my turn to attack. Be ready for it.” And in a moment's notice, without offering any visual clues, Levi has Eren flat on her back and rendered virtually helpless. The women gasp again since this time they weren't expecting the attack to come so swiftly even though they were forewarned.

Levi displays the perfect poker face. 

He once more helps Eren up and says, “And that is how you need to react to an attacker. Don't show them any type of clues to what you're thinking. Don't allow them to get a handle on how you intend to hurt them and they will be caught off guard which is what you may need in order to save your life.”

“Thank you, Captain Ackerman,” Prof. Zoe adds with a clap of her hands. The other women follow suit and Levi smirks at their acceptance. 

He looks at Eren asking, “I didn't hurt you, did I?”

“Just my pride,” she states while dusty off her clothes. He smiles back at her then she returns to her seat.

“May I have another volunteer,” Levi asks and nearly every hand in the classroom shoots up into the air. All them instant 'fan-girls' of the infamous Captain. 

The class progresses quickly with Levi showing the students proper holds to immobilize an attacker, as well as, escaping the same holds if in an attacker's grasp. Eren takes out her Smart phone and begins researching Captain Ackerman. He is a highly decorated police officer who has been with the force for over ten years. He's won all types of commendations and awards including the very prestigious: 'Humanities Finest' from the state's governor himself. 

“Miss Jaeger, please pay attention,” Levi quips when he sees her smiling down at her cellphone. She looks up at him a bit startled since she is smiling at a photo of him in his dress blues. 

“Sorry, sir,” she says with a slight blush to her cheek.

She puts her phone away and very clearly hears him say, “That's alright, Eren. I think you're very sexy too.”

She immediately looks up to catch his gaze. He hasn't spoken, at least not out loud that is, but she knows she heard him plain as day. No one else in their class seems to have noticed, however. How is that possible?

Once class is through, Eren heads out to the parking lot to find Captain Ackerman leaning against his car. “Good evening, Miss Jaeger,” he says with a smile. “May I drive you home?”

“How do you know I didn't drive myself here?”

“I saw you on your bicycle earlier tonight. We can easily slip it into the trunk of my car.”

“But the exercise is good for me.”

“Yes, but the streets are not. After all we've talked about tonight, you still wish to go it alone?”

“I refuse to be a prisoner in my own town,” she states.

“That's admirable,” he says which brings a smile to her lips, “even if a bit naïve.”

“Thanks,” she says with a huff as she unlocks her bike chain. 

“Please, I'll be a perfect gentleman.”

“Seriously? You think I'm falling for that old line?”

“Trust me,” he says with a cheeky smile on his face.

“You do know I can kick your ass, if I have to,” she adds softly.

“You are strong. But I'm quick.”

Eren smiles at that. A man admitting to how 'quick' he is. 

He sees this and the blush that follows and says, “What? Oh my god, did your mind just go there?”

“Good night, Captain,” she says while straddling on her bike. She puts on her helmet and pedals away. 

He watches her go and she hears, “I'll see you at home then,” in that velvet tone of his. She pedals faster thinking, “The joke's on you, sir. I'm not going home.”

That gets Levi moving, “Shit,” he says as he unlocks his car door. “Where the hell are you off too?” Eren smiles to herself as she takes the back alley towards her destination.

She winds her way through familiar streets, heading towards her family home. Once she arrives, she quickly stows her bike in the garage and heads in through the side door saying, “Mom, I'm back.” Yes, she still spends the weekends at her parents' place. Grisha, Carla, and Eren are a very tightly knit family. They have been since before Eren was even born. Her inclusion only sweetened the pot.

“Hey, baby, you're just in time. Take off your shoes and stay awhile,” Carla chimes from her seat near the kitchen counter. “Dad's cooking your favorite, his famous Oxtail stew.”

“Yummy!”

“How were your classes today?” Grisha asks from his place beside the stove.

“I wasn't feeling well this morning so I ditched but this evening's class was pretty interesting. We learned how to gut a man with a rusty razor,” Eren states.

Grisha looks back at her saying, “Oh, I taught you how to do that when you were still in diapers.”

“I know, daddy, but the other girls didn't know how to do it,” she quips while giving him a kiss on his cheek then joining her mother at the table.

“You didn't really learn how to gut a man with a rusty razor, did you,” Carla asks.

“Of course not, mommy,” she adds with a smile. “But I did meet a rather interesting copper. He was there showing us defensive moves.”

“Really? Did you take him down,” her mother asks.

“No. I didn't want him to know how much I know. You never know when he might be the one I'm up against,” Eren adds.

“Smart girl,” Grisha states as he stirs the pot. “Care for something to drink,” he adds while heading toward the refrigerator.

“Sure. Some of your iced tea will be lovely,” she states while pulling out her cellphone. She quickly checks her messages, reminding both Armin and Mikasa that she'll be at her parents for the weekend.

Just then, Levi pulls up outside the Jaeger household. Damn, he's getting rusty at this. He should have read her mind earlier then he wouldn't have had to use old magic to track his love interest down.

It takes five nights to turn a human into a vampire. Five consecutive nights. Miss just one and the human becomes resistant to the attempt. The further along in the transformation, the more resistant their body becomes. Levi's managed to bite Eren for three nights now. If he screws this up, she'll be practically impossible to change. That's why he finally introduced himself. He thought this was a done deal. Then she decided to change her routine mid-stride throwing his whole game off. 

He looks up at the house and sees another obstacle...barred windows. Shit, could this night get any worse? That's when he hears the dog's low growl. Fuck! Fido knows he's here. And no doubt Fido knows who he's after. One good thing will come of it once Eren's changed. Fido will become the vamps' ally. Animals are normally weary of vamps after their change so it is fairly uncommon in the Vampire World. Usually the human changed so long ago that any pets that knew them as humans are long dead. A fresh vamp with a trained dog can be a really hard fucker to kill.

Levi eyes the rest of the house. There are two possible entry points. One through the basement and the other through the attic. Why no one ever thinks to bar those windows, he'll never know. Those are the perfect spots for a perp to enter through. The basement being the obvious choice since it's lower to the ground. But seeings how neither climbing or flying is an obstacle for Levi, he chooses the latter.

Once dinner is eaten the three of them spend some time together rehashing their week. Eren is laughing in earnest once she explains how Captain Levi used a move to incapacitate their professor only to be kissed on the cheek during the altercation and, thus, losing to her.

“Levi?” Grisha asks. “I thought you said his name is Ackerman?”

Her parents watch as their daughter tries to back track. “Ah, somebody has a crush on him,” Carla chimes.

“Mom!” Eren shouts in frustration. “Okay, maybe just a little one,” she admits as she blushes.

Grisha's eyes light up as he says, “Ooo, grandchildren.”

“Dad! It's not like that,” she says indignantly. 

“But you hope,” Carla adds with a gentle smile. Eren looks scandalized. How can her parents be so...dead on. Shit, who's she kidding? Ackerman had her the moment he stepped in the classroom. The moment he handed her her keys. The moment he appeared in her dream. She has it bad!

Levi parks a few houses down and makes his way into the Jaeger's attic. It's remarkably well kept considering it's an attic. Things organized in boxes, complete with legible labels. He hears the low growl of their canine again. A warning to him not to trespass against his owners. Levi sends out a warning of his own. It's high pitch only their dog can hear. The animal cowers at Eren's feet and Levi distinctly hears her ask, “What's the matter, Maxx?”

She reaches out to pet him and he shies away from her hand. She's got his scent on her, after all, and Levi just told the dog to 'fuck off'.

“Oh, come here, you,” she says while taking him gently in her arms and scratching him behind his ear. He relaxes again, but remains vigilant.

Levi works out which room is Eren's by the scent. He plans to wait for her instead of entering later. He hides in plain sight after seeing the large assortment of stuffed dolls she's still has displayed on her bed. He nuzzles his furry little self between a black cat with a witch's hat and a fuzzy pink octopus.

When Eren tops the stairs, Maxx is right there with her. A moment later, however, he is whining and refusing to enter her room. “What's gotten in to you today,” she asks. “Don't you want your belly rub?” Maxx looks at her wanting to protect her but wanting more to get the fuck out of Dodge. Finally, he bolts toward the stairs when he hears another high pitched warning emanating from behind Eren's door. “Suit yourself,” she says as she watches him race back down the stairs.

Eren flicks on the light and starts grabbing her stuffed animals off her bed. She tosses them over in the corner before pulling back the covers. She doesn't seem to notice the fuzzy little black bat that lands on her life sized hawk's billed turtle with a thud before it rolls to the floor. Eren strips out of her street clothes and jumps into her pajamas. She stretches a few times then turns off the light and crawls into bed. 

“Shit, sorry turtle,” she says while getting out of bed again to grab the life sized plushy off the floor. That's when her toe nudges the fuzzy black bat. Looking down she says, “Well, hello there. Where did you come from? Did mom get you while I was away?” She strokes the fluffy fur and nuzzles the life like bat to her face saying, “My aren't you a cutie.” That's when she notices that it is also anatomically correct. “So dad picked you out, didn't he? Leave it to a doctor to get the thing with the biggest kahunas,” she scoffs. “Oh, well, since you're new here allow me to introduce you. This is Chester,” she says while pointing to one of her cats. “Peewee,” while pointing to the mouse. “Pinkie,” while pointing to the octopus. “Brownie,” while pointing to the stuffed dog. “Milky,” while pointing to the tiny cow. “Blue eyes,” while pointing to the cat with the witch's hat. “And this big gal right here is Honu,” she says. “That's the Hawaiian word for turtle.” I got her one summer while our family was vacationing in Hawai'i. She's the only one that usually gets to sleep with me but you can, too, since you've just joined us. But what should I call you?”

She distinctly hears the name, 'Levi', whispered in her head.

“Levi?” she says then looks into the bat's little face, “Yes, you do look like Levi. Okay, Levi it is,” she adds while crawling back into bed again with both Honu and Levi at her side. She curls around the turtle and presses the bat to her breast.

'I can get used to this,' Levi chimes while nuzzling against her pluffy pillows. 'Ah.'

It's about 3 am when Levi transforms into his other self. The fourth night is usually the sex night. That's when vampires take their mates for the first time. Then right after their mate orgasms, the vamp sinks their sharp canines in the throbbing jugular and sucks until their thirst is sated. Levi decides to forego the mating in favor of allowing Eren to choose that for them. He does turn to face her and begins sucking on that sweet neck of hers again. 

Eren is murmuring and having a really nice dream when he lavishes his tongue over her pulse point. He sinks his venomous fangs into her flesh and is immediately repelled! 

“What the fuck?” Eren shouts a moment later. “Levi? What are you doing in my bedroom?”

“I need to suck your blood,” he says and it sounds like a line out of a Bela Lugosi flick.

“What,” she says with a laugh. “That is the dumbest thing I've ever heard.”

“But it's true, Eren. I want you for my mate. This is the forth night. Usually there's sex involved but I figured that can wait until later. Now, may I?” he says while moving closer to her.

“No you may not,” she states adamantly. “I don't know how you got in here, but I need you to leave.”

“I will, as long as, you allow me to bite your neck and suck your blood for a few moments,” he adds seriously.

“Wait, are you some creepy perv? What am I asking? Of course you are. You wouldn't be here if you weren't. What I meant to say is, 'Fuck no! Get out!'.”

“Listen, I know this isn't what you were expecting or even what you wanted but I have to taste you. Every night for five nights straight. Then you'll be like me and the two of us can live an unnaturally long and happy life together.”

“Like you? What do you mean I'll be like you?”

“You'll be a vampire. We're a dying breed after all. You'll be one of the elite. You'll be part of my coven and we'll live where ever we want and do whatever we please.”

“I don't even know you. Why would I want that?”

“We'll that's part of the mystic really. Getting to know each other over the millennium. We can have tons of kids or none at all. All born human, unfortunately, but they can be changed, if they choose.”

“Wow! Seriously, you planned all this out without including me?”

“Oh, I included you in every thought,” he adds with a smile. “Ever since the first time I saw you.”

“And when was that exactly?”

“Your sixteenth birthday,” Levi chimes.

“Wait a minute. You're saying that you've been stalking me for five years now?”

“Stalking, keeping an eye on,” he shrugs. “The important thing is that I will make you a good mate. And you're at the peak of perfection physically so now's the time to make the transformation.”

“Listen, I don't care who you are or what plans you've made without consulting me. You are not now nor ever going to be my mate, understand?! Now get the fuck out of my house before I scream for my parents.”

“I can't do that, Eren. I have to change you. If I don't...”

“If you don't, then what? Do I turn into a pumpkin or some shit?”

“No. Just a very resistant human. It will be much harder to change you if and when you decide to do so in the future. Come on. It doesn't hurt and you won't even remember it's happened come sunup.”

“So you have done this to me before? I thought I was only dreaming.”

“Yes. See, I told you it doesn't hurt,” Levi adds while taking another step closer.

“No.”

“Come on, Eren. I need to do this.”

“I said, 'No,',” she states again only this time much louder. That's when she hears the growling at her door. Holy shit, she realizes that's why Maxx has been acting so strange. “Wait? Are you the bat?”

“Yes,” he adds with another smile. Which backs Eren up toward the door even further. 

“You were hiding in plain sight?”

“I thought it best,” he adds as she backs up a little more.

“So your anatomically correct form...oh, goodness,” she says while looking down at the area right below his waistband. He smiles as she places her hand on the doorknob.

“Get lost,” she hisses and she opens the door. Maxx comes bounding in, teeth bare, and snarling. He snaps his jaws at the intruder who quickly turns back into a bat and heads for the window. To Eren's surprise he passes right through the glass unharmed without breaking it. “Holy shit! Did you see that?” she asks Maxx a moment later.

“Eren, is everything alright?” a sleepy voice asks from the far end of the long hall.

“Everything's fine now,” Eren chimes back at her mother. “And Maxx, you're staying with me,” she adds a moment later. “Thanks, buddy,” she says as they settle down to get some much needed rest.

*


	2. Problems

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How do you make someone fall in love with you? Levi doesn't know yet he's willing to find out.

Chapter 2: Problems.

Returning to his nest without completing his task irritates Levi to no end. He begins pacing and Petra approaches asking, “What's wrong, Captain?”

He looks over at her with a deep scowl on his face saying, “There's a problem with our latest recruit.”

“You mean, Project Jaeger?”

“Yes, now get the rest of the coven. We have a brainstorming session to attend.”

“Yes, sir,” Petra adds as she runs to get the others. Oluo, Erd, and Gunther arrive a moment later. 

“Gentlemen and lady, I need suggestions. Eren's recruitment is proving much more difficult than I thought it would be. She is rejecting my advances and I haven't been able to bleed her yet.”

“What day are you on, Captain?”

“Day four,” Levi admits and they all know what day four is suppose to be. Great mind blowing sex with the person you've chosen as your mate. And here Levi is not even able to get the woman to bleed for him. 

Petra chose Oluo, although no one's sure why. Erd chose Gunther, and that was a surprise and yet Levi choosing Eren...a project he's been working on for five years and now to fail when he's so close to finishing her transformation? Ouch, that's got to hurt.

“Well?” he says in irritation. “Suggestions...”

“Well, you could always romance her,” Petra suggests. “It might be harder to change her but you can win her heart and her trust first, then ask her to join us.”

“He's a vampire, Petra. We take. We don't ask,” Oluo states.

“What about you two?” Levi says while looking at Erd and Gunther.

“Well, boss, what if you did it the old fashioned way? Bring her back to the nest and force her to submit? It's worked in the past.”

“Yeah, but then I'll be stuck with a miserable bitch. I want the woman that I chose...free spirited and fun loving. Someone that could really be a great vampire. Someone other vamps will envy me for. I want to make them drool with envy, damn it!” the raven shouts with such determination that his entire troop snaps to attention. Levi looks around and sees four good coven members. Each with such strengths. But he sensed in Eren such potential, he doesn't want to lose that.

Finally Erd speaks up saying, “Then try it Petra's method. Get her to like you and hopefully she'll want to join us.”

Gunther nods at his partner's advice and reluctantly so does Oluo.

“Alright, you four. Get some sleep,” Levi states as he turns to leave again.

Levi shimmies through the attic window again and creeps toward Eren's bedroom again. He hears Maxx growl, low and menacing so he softly says, “Listen, brat. Your owner is my soul-mate. I intend to have her so you can either get on board with that idea or be left behind.” The growling stops but when Levi enters the room, he finds the dog standing protectively over top of his charge. His tail is hung low and his eyes are 0watching Levi like a hawk after a field mouse.

The moment he moves towards the bed, the dog begins growling again. 'Nope, this ain't happening. you immortal bitch,' that growl seems to say.

“Fine but I'm going to leave this for her,” Levi states as he sets a small package on the nightstand. 

In the morning, Eren wakes to the smell of her mother's famous waffles cooking. She loves on Maxx then notices the small package near her phone charger. She opens it to find a furry little stuffed bat and a note that says, “Please, give me a chance, Levi.”

Eren realizes this plushy isn't nearly as life like as he was but it does have the same wings. And a furry little belly. It's quite cute actually so she smiles at that. 

“Eren, breakfast,” comes the shout by way of the stairs.

“Breakfast, Maxx! I'm starved,” she says as they race down the stairs together.

*

Monday morning comes and Eren returns to her regular routine. 

“You look a hell of a lot better than you did last week,” Mikasa quips. 

“Thanks. I feel a lot better. Here,” she says while placing the homemade chocolate chip cookies on the table, “mom made these for you two.”

“Ooo, thank,” Armin says as he quickly grabs hold of one and takes a deep bite. “Wow, your mother's cooking is to die for.”

Mikasa takes one as well yet heats hers just a little bit in the microwave before biting into that little slice of heaven with a contented sigh. “So good,” she murmurs around those sweet morsels.

“Now, we'd better go unless Armin wants to be late for his test again.”

“No. Professor Brown is not forgiving when it comes to his test,” Armin quips as he grabs his book bag.

The three of them head toward their first class of the day but waiting just beside Eren's building is a rather buffed short man with a scowl perpetually etched on his face. “Good morning, Miss Jaeger,” he says offering her a slight smile.

“What are you doing here?”

“I thought I'd walk you to class.”

“Aren't we a little old for that routine? This isn't high school, you know.”

“Hello, there,” a short blond girl says as she approaches the two of them. “Who's your friend, Eren?”

“Good morning, Krista. This is Levi Ackerman. And I don't know if I'd call him a friend, actually,” she says as she remembers how he broke into her apartment then parents home just to bite her neck.

“Oh, come now, Eren. Just 'cause we have our disagreements doesn't mean we're not friends,” Levi retorts.

“Whatever,” she says while pushing passed him and entering the building. He follows close behind as she heads toward class. “Um, I don't need my own personal stalker,” she quips.

“Ah, Captain Ackerman,” Professor Smith chimes, “Welcome,” Eren's Criminal Justice professor states. “I'm glad you accepted my offer.”

Eren looks between he two men saying, “Unbelievable,” before taking her seat.

Once again, Captain Ackerman is the main guest speaker for one of Eren's classes. She can't help but feel she's been set up once more. The man seems to be everywhere and she finds it irritating and secretly kind of endearing. If he's trying to keep her interest peaked, he is. Especially when she sees all the other students tripping over each other just to talk with him for a few minutes. 

“Do you have a question for me, Miss Jaeger?” Levi finally asks.

“Not especially, no,” she says while gathering her things. 

“Don't forget to read Case number 413 for Wednesday's discussion,” Professor Smith says just before class is dismissed. “So Levi, do you want to get some lunch?” 

Levi watches as Eren's just about to leave and says, “I suppose so. Are there any good places near campus?” 

That's when he sees Eren stop a moment before turning to them both and saying, “Momma Maria's on 5th is pretty good. Try one of their calzones.”

“Thanks,” Levi says then and watches her smile back at him before leaving. Professor Smith is looking at him oddly when he turns to face him. “What?”

“It looks like you've made a friend, Levi,” the professor says as he stores his note cards in his briefcase. “You won't be over stepping your boundaries with that young lady, will you?”

“Not if she can help it,” he says in a gruff, displeased voice.

“Wait, is that the one?”

“Maybe.”

“Oh, Levi. You're a wee-bit out of your depth with Miss Jaeger. She's not likely to go along with the whole, 'I'm yours and your mine now' bit. She's very headstrong and I hear quite good with her hands. As in she might just beat your ass in a fair fight.”

“Well, it's a good thing I don't fight fair then, isn't it?”

“Ah, but in there lies the challenge. She might beat you in a not so fair fight as well. Best keep her on your good side, old friend,” Smith chimes.

“Yes, dear,” the Captain adds sarcastically. Erwin smirks at that. His friend is in way over his head and drowning yet he doesn't even know it.

They do choose to eat at Momma Maria's. Just walking by the place has them drooling! Everything looks great and smells so good. Once they are seated, they both order petite calzones, in Erwin's case with a side salad while Levi opts for the side antipasto. 

Once he takes a bite, Levi chimes, “She wasn't kidding about this place. The food is excellent!”

“And not overly priced,” Smith adds. “So tell me, Levi, are you seriously thinking about Miss Jaeger as a potential mark...mate, whatever you call them?”

“To be honest, she's already bitten. She just kicked me out on the fourth night.”

Smith laughs then whispers, “Isn't that the best night?”

“Usually, but I wasn't about to go there. Not without her consent anyway. But I barely sunk my teeth in before she pushed me away. And I couldn't convince her once she was conscious.”

“Oh, wow. I suppose you've spoken to your squad. She would be your mate after all. How do they feel about the entire thing?”

“Not too bad. I mean, each of them is mated. I don't see why my choosing a mate should change things,” Levi adds seemingly clueless about how it changes everything.

“How did Petra take the idea of being 'replaced'?”

“Replaced? We were never together?”

“Maybe not in reality, Levi, but it's obvious that she thought she would be with you eventually. You do know that, right? How badly she was crushing on you?”

From the look on Levi's face it is clear he didn't know that. Wow, clueless. Smith just smiles back at his friend. They eat in silence for a few minutes before Levi says, “I never lead Petra on.”

“Levi, you changed her. Everything about you changed her. You brought her into your exclusive boys club and she felt privileged. Obviously, she thought you'd chosen her for other reasons as well. Then you never pursued a relationship, so she went outside the group to choose someone for herself. Now, you are grooming a new someone. She's got to feel a bit conflicted. I mean, you didn't pick her but you did pick someone. And it's not like you're gay or something. Nope. You picked a beautiful refreshing young thing that's bound to make Petra feel old in comparison. You might want to speak with her before bringing Eren into the fold. You do know the Chinese symbol for 'misery' is two women under one roof.”

“Petra is a good soldier...”

“But she's still a woman. You've got to see this from her point of view.”

“But she has Oluo.”

Erwin scoffs at that saying, “Seriously? Oluo looks older than I feel. She most likely picked him to make you jealous. When that didn't work, well...”

'To make me jealous,' he thinks. “If she wanted to make me jealous, she should have picked someone that looked more like you,” Levi adds and sees Erwin's face light up like a light bulb. Levi rolls his eyes saying, “Don't get a big head, Erwin. You know as well as I do that you look like you just stepped off the cover of GQ magazine.”

“Thanks,” Erwin adds with a big smile. 

“Will there be anything else, gentlemen?” their waitress asks.

“No thank you,” Erwin states as he reaches for his wallet. 

“Enjoy the rest of your day,” she adds while giving the professor a sweet smile.

“See? Even she's into you,” Levi quips a moment later. 

“She's one of my students, Levi. Plus she's like half my age. I've never been a cradle robber. That does beg a question though. I mean, aren't you like old enough to be Eren's great great great...”

“I get it, Smith. Besides every woman is young enough to be my daughter. And the longer I go without a mate, the older I get. I just know Eren's special. I've followed her for the past five years. She's beautiful and I don't mean just physically. I'm just not sure what I can do to make her want me.”

“Oh, my god! Are you asking for dating advice?”

“I don't want to,” Levi says honestly, “but I'm out of my depth. Killing people, catching criminals, that shit's nothing compared to this. How do you get someone to fall in love with you?”

“You figure that one out then let me know, okay? I've got a student in my night class that I'd love to get closer to but first he's my student and second...”

“He?” Levi asks while holding up his hand. “Seriously, you're gay?”

“Just shout it, why don't you?”

“Holy shit, Erwin. I've known you since you were in diapers. When were you going to tell me this?”

“I wasn't,” Erwin states. “It's not like I have a choice. Women are beautiful but I don't find them appealing in that sort of way.”

“Does Hanji know?”

“She knew before I did,” he says softly. “Whenever we'd watch football together, she noticed how intensely I'd ogled the men's asses. Then when the cheerleaders took the field, I'd look anywhere but at the women. And when we rated the hunks and she realized there's a very real pattern to my leanings...short, blond haired, blue eyed. Basically like myself just in petite form. Plus male and that's when it hit me...I'm gay.”

“So this kid in your class, does he have a name?”

“Yes, Armin.”

Levi nearly chokes. He looks up into Erwin's face saying, “Armin Arlert?”

“Yes, do you know him?”

“He's one of Eren's room mates and her best friend. Oh, man, well, considering he lives with two women and isn't fucking either one of them, he's probably gay himself.”

“How do you know they're not having sex?”

“Smell. You humans aren't very good about keeping yourselves clean. And sex leaves a very distinct smell on a person. Nope. They're not together so he's either a really good little boy or gay. Most likely the latter.”

“Well, that's something,” the professor states.

“Now that I solved your problem, what about mine?”

“Send her roses or gifts or something. I don't know. I'm not a love guru.”

“Fine. I'll figure it out on my own,” Levi says in a huff. A moment later they leave the restaurant. Levi has one more class to assist with but first he pays a visit to a local florist.

“Please send them to this address,” Levi adds while writing Eren's apartment number down. He hand writes the little card and slips it over with his money. 

“They'll arrive this afternoon,” the cashier claims.

“Perfect. Thank you,” Levi adds before walking out the door.

When Eren arrives home that evening, their apartment smells of roses. She sees the big arrangement on the table and asks, “Who sent these?”

“Oh, we were wondering if you could tell us that,” Mikasa says. “Read the card.”

Eren slips the card out of the little envelop and reads: 'Waiting to see you again. Miss you, Eren~L'

“So who's 'L',” Armin asks.

Eren is smiling to herself as she leans in to take a deep whiff. Mikasa and Armin are both looking at her strangely when she says, “What?”

“Armin asked who 'L' is. Care to share?”

Eren smiles back at the two of them saying, “Not yet,” as she makes her way to the refrigerator.

Her friend's are more intrigued then ever now that she's not sharing. They watch as she retrieves a bottled water and wait patiently for her to elaborate. She doesn't. Instead she heads to her room with her book bag. Armin and Mikasa look at one another then quickly follow before Eren can lock them out.

“Okay, spill,” Mikasa states the moment they enter the room. “Who is 'L'?”

“He's no one,” Eren says softly and they watch as a tiny smile creeps onto her face.

“Well, he's obviously someone. You're smiling,” Armin adds.

“I am not,” she cries indignantly but then her face breaks into a beautiful smile and she says, “Fine. I am. Now go away. I have a test tomorrow.”

“Like we care,” Mikasa quips. “I want to hear about 'L'. What's the 'L' stand for at least?”

“Levi,” she says softly. She looks into Mikasa's eyes then Armin's. “Listen, I don't know what to tell you, okay? He's short and surly and has ghostly white skin...”

“Wait? Is this the guy from your dreams,” Mikasa asks. “The one you told me about? The one you said you're in love with?”

“In love with,” Armin asks, clearly out of the loop. “Oh, Eren, do tell. What's he like?”

“He's short...”

“You already said that,” Armin states. “What is he like?”

“Here,” she says while turning her laptop toward them. “Google Captain Levi Ackerman and you'll see.”

Armin does and a moment later a photo of Levi in his dress uniform pops up on the screen. “Wow, okay so he's gorgeous! But it says here that he's only 5' 3” tall. I thought the minimum height requirement is at least 5' 8”. How did he manage that one?”

“No idea,” Eren adds with a shrug, “but it's obvious he did 'cause look at his commendations!”

Armin does and the list is long. So long in fact, it takes up three full inches of type space. The one that gets Armin's goat is 'Humanities Finest'. “You do realize, there's only like five of these that have ever been awarded,” Armin adds.

“Which one is that?”

“Humanities Finest. That's what they call all police officers but in fact, to receive that award they have to really out perform their comrades by like a lot!”

“Sounds like he's got a fan,” Mikasa adds a moment later.

“Well, we know Eren can take care of herself but if she couldn't, having someone like this around, well, we wouldn't have to worry about her ever again,” Armin adds. “Not that you're a slouch in that department there, Mikasa, but having two protectors is better than one.”

Mikasa nods. She actually likes that idea as well. “So, when are we going to meet him?”

“Seriously? You guys want to meet Levi?”

“Hey, any guy that sends you flowers...” Armin begins.

“And can scare off pervs,” Mikasa adds, “is worth a once over by your friends. We need to know his profile isn't just all hype.”

“Okay. Um, I guess Thursday maybe,” Eren adds nervously. If he tries to hurt either of her friends, well, he'll wish he hadn't. 

“Here,” Armin says while picking her phone out of its charger and handing it to her, “call him. Make sure he can come.”

Eren takes hold of the phone. She didn't expect this...her friends ganging up on her to meet Levi. What can she possible say to the man? Yes, he tried to change her. Yes, he says he's her mate. Yes, they've met a couple of times but really he's basically a stranger. Not to mention a vampire. Eren starts to dial the number on the screen than says, “Listen, I don't want to bother him.”

“Fine,” Mikasa adds while taking the phone from her friend's hand, “then I will.” She quickly dials the number and it's immediately picked up. “Captain Ackerman, this is Mikasa Ackerman, long time friend of your girlfriend Eren Jaeger. She wanted me to invite you over to our apartment this Thursday for dinner. Let's say around 6pm. Perfect. See you then,” Mikasa adds before hanging up.

Eren's face is in utter shock. Shit, did she really just do that? Call the Captain out of thin air and invite him over to their apartment. Wait, how does Mikasa know that he even knows where they live? Well, he is a cop. It shouldn't be too hard for him to figure it out even if he hadn't already been there before.

“Come on, Armin. Company's coming and we have things to do.”

“Right behind you,” he adds with a smile. 

Mikasa tosses the phone on the bed saying, “And don't you dare cancel!” before turning to leave.

Eren picks the phone up to place it back in the charger when it rings in her hand. She sees the number and gulps saying, “Hello?”

“Hello, girlfriend,” Levi says with a cheeky smugness to his voice. “You do know that your friend Mikasa just called to invite me over for dinner on Thursday, right?”

“Yes, about that...”

“Are you canceling?”

“No. She'll kill me but you can't tell them about being, you know, a vamp.”

“Please, I wasn't even going to tell you until you shocked it out of me. So dinner...should I bring something?”

“Like what?”

“Dessert? Wine? I don't know. They're your friends. What do they like?”

“Just bring yourself. Dress casual though. They do like to sit on the floor and play games. Oh, and Levi...”

“Yes?”

“No biting anyone, okay?”

He laughs loudly at that. “I won't. I promise,” he chimes lightly.

“Good. See you Thursday at 6 pm then. Good night, Levi.”

“Good night, my love,” he says before hanging up.

*

Thursday rolls around like Thursdays usually do and Eren is pacing like a nervous lioness in a cage. “Relax,” Armin says, “he can't be that bad.”

“Armin, I...”   
There's a knock on their door. Eren takes three steps to make it across the room to answer it. “Thanks,” Mikasa says, “I couldn't reach my keys.” She walks the bags into the kitchen and sets them on the counter. She begins unloading them when Eren starts pacing again. “What's got you so nervous? I thought you liked him?”

“I do, sort of, but you guys are my friends. I just need everything to go perfect and well, he's not the type of guy that that happens to often.”

“Oh, relax,” Armin says as he drapes his arm around her. “I'm sure we'll love him.”

Eren gives him a worried look then an uneasy smile. There's another knock on the door and Eren jumps slightly then bolts toward it. “Mr. Pixis?”

“Yes, kids. It's that time of the month again. Where's my rent?” 

“Um, Armin?”

“Hey, Mr. Pixis, about that,” Armin says as he walks over to the older man. “Here, I'm just messing with you.”

“Okay, kids, you're off the hook for another month. Have a nice evening,” the older man states as he heads back down the hall.

Eren starts to pace again and then there's another knock. She bolts for the door saying, “Welcome...” but it's just her neighbor Marco.

“Hey, Eren. I noticed Mikasa just got back from the store...”

“Marco, here you go, bro. Knock yourself out,” Mikasa adds with a smile as she hands him the plain brown bag. 

“Thanks,” he says with a blush as he races out of the room.

A moment later, there's another knock at the door and this time Eren yanks it open saying, “What now?”

Levi looks at her surprised then says, “I was invited?”

Embarrassment paints her cheeks red as she says, “Sorry, it's been sort of crazy around here. Come on in but take your shoes off, okay?”

“Sure,” Levi adds with a smile.

“Levi, the little blond kid is my best friend Armin and the dark haired girl is my other best friend Mikasa. Mikasa, Armin, this is Levi.”

Mikasa scans the short man from head to toe. She wasn't sure what she was expecting, but she is sure it wasn't this. It's plain to see he is buffed like really buffed. His look is terrifying but in a good way as a protector should be. Mikasa smiles at him saying, “Welcome, Mr. Ackerman. I am Miss Ackerman but you may call me Mikasa.”

Levi nods toward her then looks over at Armin who seems to be calculating something. He smirks thinking how Erwin would love to be this close to the kid. “I met a professor of yours the other day, Armin. Prof. Smith. The told me what a good student you are.” And there it is, the blush. Just the mention of the Adonis has this kid's heart pumping. Shit, Erwin doesn't have to do anything to win him over. Just walk in the fucking room.

“Professor Smith is quite a man...I mean, he's brilliant,” Armin states with admiration is dripping from his words. 

“Yes. When I mentioned Eren being a good friend of yours, he seemed a little jealous like he'd like to get to know you better as well. Then when he realized I'm hung up on Eren, he seemed relieved.” 'Like he'd finally have a chance with you,' is what Levi left unsaid.

“Really? Did he say that he'd like to get to know me better?”

“Yes. He did. Would you like his private number? I'm sure he won't mind if I give it to you,” Levi states with a sly smile.

“Sure! I promise, I won't call just to harass him. Only when it's important,” Armin promises.

Levi nods as he hands over the little slip of paper. Erwin had actually written it down for Levi to slip into Armin's jacket pocket if he got the chance. But this is much better. Now Armin has permission to call Erwin without the embarrassment of explaining how he got his phone number.

*

Dinner goes remarkably well. They head into the living room with coffee and pie and Levi sits on the floor leaning back against the sofa and says, “That was excellent! Who cooked, you Armin?”

“Me? No. I can reheat things pretty well but Mikasa's the cook.”

“Oh, nice. Well done,” Levi chimes. 

“I figured Eren's crush deserves a good last meal.”

“Eren's crush?”

“Last meal?”

Mikasa smiles as she takes another slip of pie and brings it to her lips. “You two seem pretty good together. I wonder why Eren was keeping you a secret,” Mikasa adds.

“I'd like to know how you became a cop,” Armin adds. “No offense but you're even shorter than I am and with the height requirement and all...how did you get passed all that?”

“I was a thug. They just arrested our leader for murder and I was his replacement. Their commander gave me a choice: be allies or enemies. They grandfathered me in since I could be of use to them so here I am,” Levi states.

“Wait, you're telling me that you joined with the cops to take your gang down,” Eren states.

“Not exactly. They had to retrain my crew. Forgive their past wrongs for the minor offenses and help them find decent jobs, plus rehab the ones that were from the wrong side of the tracks. Our crack lock smith became a respectable designer designing locks for major banks, etc. Several of our henchmen became security personal for high profile clients. I became a detective. Tracking criminal movement all over the city. So we disband in favor of serving the community in our respective fields.”

“So your a crook who became a cop? Good to know,” Mikasa states wearily.

“Oh, he's more than that,” Armin adds. “Much more.”

They all look toward Armin who then blushes saying, “I...I only meant that Eren hasn't stopped smiling since he got here.”

“What,” the one in question says while looking scandalized. “I'm not smiling.”

“Girl please,” Mikasa quips. “You look like a fucking jack-o-lantern but not in a scary way.”

Eren looks at her friends then looks at Levi, of all people, for help and he looks to smug for his own good. “Well, if I'm smiling it's only because you two haven't ripped him a new one. I mean, when was the last time I had you meet someone and you two weren't all over his ass. Hell, you two even ripped on Annie and she was just a friend.”

“Yeah, your queer as a three dollar bill friend,” Mikasa reminds her.

“That doesn't mean anything was going to happen,” Eren adds.

“She wanted it to, though,” Armin adds.

“Oh, good grief! Do you see what I have to put up with?” she asks Levi.

He nods yet doesn't say a word against the two since they obviously accept him.

Once they're finished with their pie, Levi opts to leave before overstaying his welcome. He's made a good impression and that's what matters. Plus he gave Armin Professor Handsome's phone number so that's two good things that came from tonight. 

“It was nice meeting you,” Mikasa says.

“Yes, don't be a stranger,” Armin adds.

“Thank you and I'll see you later, Eren,” Levi adds with a smirk. Then he steps out of the door and is gone. 

Once the door is closed again he distinctly hears Mikasa says, “You didn't even kiss him good night.

“Yeah, I would have done that much,” Armin adds, “just for the roses.”

“Geez, you two. I'm not going to go throwing myself at some guy. I have more respect for myself than that.”

“Is that all?”

“Well, there are some things you two don't know about him,” Eren states.

“I'm certain there are a great many things we don't know about him but from what I do know so far, I approve,” Mikasa replies.

“Now see that's what I mean. Since when have you ever approved of anyone I dated? Anyone that can charm you must have something wrong with him,” Eren quips.

“He's scary as fuck, has the muscles to back that up, and went from being part of societies worst to being Humanities Finest. I'd say he deserve the benefit of the doubt,” Mikasa chimes.

“Yes, plus he gave me Professor Smith's private number,” Armin says while clutching the piece of paper to his chest.

“Seriously? You'd sell your best friend down the river just to get Professor Handsome's phone number?” Eren asks.

“Eren, you do realize how long Armin's been crushing on that guy. Yes, I'd say he'd sell you quite easily in fact.”

“Some friends you two are,” she scoffs. “I'm going to bed.”

“Not so fast,” Armin says, “It's your turn to do the dishes.”

“What?”

“Mikasa cooked, I cleaned, your turn to do it.”

“Fine but then I'm going to bed.”

“Sure. We'll just 'fangirl' about your crush,” Mikasa adds and Armin laughs.

Eren sighs knowing her friends are hopeless. Completely hopeless. 

Once the dishes are done, Eren trudges to bed as she works the kinks out of her neck muscles. She decides to do her homework tomorrow before class before. She's about to turn off the light when she notices her stuffed bat 'Levi' has a friend. “What are you doing here? And how can you fly through glass without breaking the window?”

She watches as he transforms...that she will never get tired of seeing. Levi smiles at her saying, “Well, Mikasa mentioned a kiss which I have yet to receive and I can only fly through glass by using old magic. You see, centuries ago back before windows could open, we had to think of another way to get through unnoticed. I just think of the spell while flying at the pane of glass and it allows me to pass through unharmed.”

“Huh, okay. I never thought of that. So you know magic?”

“I'd rather talk about that kiss,” he says while moving toward her.

“You have wickedly sharp canines. I'd rather not,” Eren adds a moment later. 

Levi smiles at her showing her that no, he doesn't have extra sharp canines...not until he needs them, that is. “Listen, I like you. I really do but I'm not ready to be anyone's mate and I don't know if I want to be a vampire. So I'd really appreciate it if you didn't keep trying to coax me, okay?”

“All I asked for was a kiss, Eren,” he says softly.

“But kissing can lead to other more intimate things,” she says nervously.

“Only if you want it to,” Levi adds.

“That's just it. I don't know what I want.”

Levi's eyes flicker at that. He is worming his way into her heart. “I tell you what, I promise just a kiss nothing more.” He comes a bit closer then stops waiting for her to lean into him. He can hear her heart racing. She does lean into him and kisses him on the cheek. Now he could be a jerk and not keep his promise or say something stupid like 'that wasn't a real kiss' but instead Levi says, “Thank you, Eren, for trusting me.” A moment later he turns back into a bat and flies at the window again. She watches as he slips through unscathed. Old magic. Oh, shit, she wanted to hear more about the magic part of being a vampire!

She grabs the stuffed toy off her nightstand and cuddles with it to her breast again. She falls asleep with a smile on her lips.


	3. Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Levi and Eren finally talk it out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm a bit late but here's some Valentine's Day fluffiness. Enjoy:)

Chapter 3: Love.

Mikasa and Armin haven't relented on the 'Levi' thing. They bring him up at the most inopportune times just to get Eren flustered. They've never seen her blush so much in their lives. It's new and endearing. 

“Face it, girl, you're hot for him,” Mikasa chimes.

“Just think, he can do one of those stripteases with his real cop uniform,” Armin adds.

Eren is laughing and blushing and oh, so uncomfortable talking about this in such a public place. “You two are horrible,” she states but she can't help her reaction. 

Every Monday morning, there's a new batch of flowers at their door. First there were the red roses which mean 'passionate love', next came the shy little violets which mean 'faithfulness', next came a wonderful clipping of Lilacs which means 'first love' which, judging by how old Eren calculates Levi to be, seems to be a bit of a stretch. But those pale purple pedals do have the entire apartment complex smelling wonderful! And then the latest arrival is a single solitary yellow Tulip. When Armin tells her that that flower means 'hopelessly in love', Eren cries.

“Why me?” she asks. “Why did he pick me? I'm just...me. I'm no one special.”

“Eren, you are an amazing, beautiful, strong woman,” Armin states. “He is lucky to have you even thinking of him.”

Mikasa says, “Yes, so stop with all the self-defeating drama and face it. He likes you, he wants you, and he's being patient. That says a lot about a man.”

Eren nods. Yes, her little vampire has been very patient with her over these passed several weeks. He still makes it a point to bump into her once in a while. Finally, on the ninth week, Levi...the stuffed bat sitting on Eren's bed with all her plushies...has a little friend again. “You looks so cute in your bat form,” she says while lowering her hand for him to crawl onto it.. She kisses the top of his furry little head and he nuzzles against her cheek. She notices that there's little package sitting beside her cellphone. 

When she reaches for it, he changes into his other self and says, “I've decided not to change you, Eren. I love you just the way you are.”

She opens the little package and finds a silver heart pendant tucked inside. “It's beautiful,” she states. She reads the back and says, “Solid silver?” She lifts her long hair and he helps her put in on. A moment later she says, “I thought silver and vampires don't mix?”

“We don't,” he adds while showing her the little burn marks on his fingers from where he just touched the silver. She is about to rebuke him when she watches his fingers heal right before her eyes. “When you want me, just remove it. That way I'll know you're okay with all of this,” Levi adds.

He runs his hand along her cheek and leans in to kiss her again. She meets his lips this time. It's soft and it's sweet. He pulls back to gaze into her amazing eyes saying, “I love you and you're perfect just the way you are.”

He starts to change again and she says, “Wait! Don't leave. Stay with me but just hold me, okay? I'm not ready for anything more.”

The look he gives her is priceless! She's trusting him enough to lay beside her and allowing him to hold her close to his body where he can hear the beating of her heart. He removes his jacket and shoes. He motions for her to lay down then he joins her. Oh, she eases into that warm embrace.

“I thought vampires were cold?”

“Nope. We don't sparkle either,” he says. “But we do drink blood, though, we rarely kill the donor since that would deplete our supply.”

“Really? Then why do people fear you so much?”

“Ignorance. Superstition. The usual,” Levi quips. 

“How old are you?”

“Ah, that is a topic for another day,” he states.

“Could you tell me about the old magic now at least,” Eren wants to know.

“Well, all earthly and uneathly creatures are tied to the universe. Humans are too, but their little lives consume their entire being so they simply ignore it.”

“So there are other unearthly creatures like what exactly?”

“Merfolk for one. They are beautiful creatures but oh, so shy since humans have hunted them for ages. Werewolves exist, I think. I don't really know since they look so similar to regular wolves and like dogs, they don't particular like vamps. And of course, imps. Now imps are tricky little bastards. You know when you misplace something. Well, most times it's just an imp being mischievous. They like to confuse and confound people. They do it for fun but occasional it can lead to discord. If you see something move in your peripheral and when you look, there's nothing there, it was probably an imp. You see, they move so quickly that humans can't really keep up. Vampires have a higher speed and sense of movement. We slow down to interact with humans, but our normal speed make imp movements seem common place.”

“Are there any imps here now,” she asks.

Levi's head moves so quickly, his face is but a blur for a moment as he scans the bedroom. “Nope. I believe my presence is chasing them away.”

“Good 'cause I hate it when they take my keys!”

Levi laughs saying, “You're cute. Will we ever be a couple?”

“A couple of what?”

“You know, an item. Will you ever date me? I really need a girlfriend. Plus you're perfect!”

Eren laughs at that saying, “I'm far from perfect, Levi. You only feel that way 'cause you like me.”

“I love you,” he adds softly.

“Why do you love me? You don't even really know me.”

“Well, there's your look. Sea green eyes, unruly hair, great body. Then there's your way. You love life, hate injustice, and care about the tiniest little creatures like baby birds and little turtles.”

Eren looks at him wide eyed. He knows about the baby birds she replaced in their mother's nest and the tiny turtles she found walking across the highway just to reach their water source. “Oh, my god! You really have been stalking me for years!”

“Stalking? Let's just say 'keeping an eye on you'.”

“And that sort of thing, my way with little creatures I mean, appeals to you?”

“Oh, my yes. I've seen great and terrible changes done to this world. Humans need to slow down before they really mess things up completely. The air is so much fouler and the waters are putrid. You have no idea how good spring water was just a few decades ago. What we drink now, god, it's practically sewage compared to what it used to taste like.”

“Levi, how old are you really? And how did you become a vampire? Were you born human? Tell me what happened.”

“Well, you know your Professor Zoe?”

“Yes...”

“She isn't what she seems. She's a witch.”

“A witch? You mean like a real witch? The type that can do spells and magic and such?”

“Oh, yes and so much more. Well, she and I were deer hunting during the fall of 1720. We came upon an odd sight. It looked as those a man was ravishing a woman. As we got closer, we realized the man was biting her throat. He looked back and hissed at us telling us to leave. Naturally, Hanji wasn't going to let him keep hurting the woman so she used a spell to ward the man off. The woman seemed very grateful. Hanji took her in and helped her regain her strength. I stayed too, just in case the assailant had followed us. It took five days for the woman to heal, or so we thought. What she was actually doing is called the 'blood exchange'. You see, that man was her new mate. They were drinking from one another as is the custom. During the five days, she was feasting on me instead and transformed me without my knowledge or consent. I was bitter to say the least. When we realized what she had done to me, it was too late to stop the transformation. Hanji caste a spell linking us so that I would never have to be alone. Recently, though, she lost the love of her life and has lost the will to live. She asked me to find a mate, someone that I could bond to so she could break the spell and be free to live out a normal human existence instead of living centuries just to keep me company. We both know that there is more to this world and the next and she wants to see what else awaits us. I think she just misses her mate so much that she'd rather follow him in death then stay by my side.”

“So after all this time, you really never had a true first love?”

“No. I was content. I had a good life and good friends. I didn't need anything else. But then I met you. The first time we met was a spring day in May. The weather was gorgeous and you were with your family at Sina Park. The three of you were having a picnic. It was the most normal family moment I had ever witnessed. That's when I knew I wanted that. I wanted to have a family and watch my children grow. Eren, I won't change you but I do want you in my life. Please, allow me to be yours. I will be faithful and I will keep you safe,” he promises.

She runs her fingers over his forehead to brush the hair out of his eyes. She hears loneliness in his words and longing. “Yes,” she says simply. His serious scowl morphs into a beautiful smile.

“May I kiss you?”

“Yes.”

And it's their real first kiss. Passionate and pure. Levi pours himself into that kiss hoping against hope that it won't be their last. In a moment, the top two buttons on Eren's shirt become undone. Levi smiles at her and says, “That was an imp. I think he's trying to get me into trouble.”

“Either that or he's trying to give us ideas,” she says with a grin. Levi raises an eyebrow at that as Eren moves in for another kiss.

*

After a few more kisses Eren begins to yawn saying, “I really should get some sleep.”

“Do you want me to leave?”

“No. I like this. Cuddling with you. You'll behave right?”

“Of course, my love. It took nine weeks to earn your trust. I'm not about to screw that up now,” he says. 

“Good,” she adds as she turns away from him. “Oh, um, I'm a right sided sleeper. Would you cuddle me from behind? I like when my back is toasty warm.”

“Sure,” he says as he pulls her closer to his muscular form. “How's that?”

“Perfect. Thank you, Levi,” she says with another yawn. “Good night.” And after a couple of minutes he hears her breathing even out and her heart slow just a touch. He tucks his face into the nape of her neck and breathes in deeply. He loves the smell of her. He lets it calm him until he, too, falls fast to sleep.

Early the next morning, Eren wakes to the feeling of Levi running his fingers lightly over the exposed flesh that's peeking out of her pajama top. She feels him kiss her temple, then her check, then her lips tenderly as he says, “You're beautiful and look so innocent when you sleep.”

She murmurs an acceptance of his words. She feels him lift the little silver heart then he says, “But your morning breath leaves a bit to be desired.”

Her eyes pop open then as she gives him a menacing glare and says, “Brat!”

“Me? I'm just being honest here.”

“Well, we can't all be perfect,” she says while rolling away from him. He wraps his arms around her waist and hugs her tight. His kisses her nape and she giggles saying, “But at least I don't have 5 o'clock shadow and morning wood!”

Levi chuckles then. “Hey, morning wood is a necessity. Most men need it to get through another tousle to please their homely wives.”

“Oh, is that what's going to happen to us? You'll need Mr. Morning Wood just to satisfy me?”

“That will never happen to us because I'll be married to the most beautiful woman in the world,” he says softly against her nape before kissing her again. “Eren, I love you. Even when you're old and gray and wrinkly as a prune, I'll still love you.”

She turns to look over her shoulder at him. She sees the desperate longing there. She rolls over again and caresses the hair from his dark eyes. “I believe you,” she says. “I don't know why. It doesn't make any sense to me at all but I believe you.”

Levi smiles at her. 

He leans in to kiss her again and she whispers, “What happened to being offended by my morning breath?”

“Desire won out,” he says as he kisses her rosy lips. 

God, she loves waking up like this! Being cuddled and caressed and kissed. It all makes her feels so warm, so loved. But with most things, life interferes. Levi leaves a few minutes later to head back to the precinct while Eren showers then dresses and heads toward her first class. 

Her class with Professor Handsome goes well. He and Armin have been getting closer and Armin finally asked the professor if he'd like to get dinner together sometime. Eren is surprised that Armin is so bold but he explains it by saying, “Now that I know he likes me, it was much easier than I thought. He seemed hesitant to take that final step so I reasoned that I would. I calculated that he'd say 'yes', of course since his body language was spot on. He said I was amazing, Eren. I never had a man say that to me,” he adds with a wonderfully shy smile.

“You are amazing, Armin. You are the smartest person I know.”

“Yes, and now I have Mr. Adonis as my boyfriend,” he chimes. “I'm a little bit worried about the sex though.”

“What? Why?”

“He's so huge!”

“You've seen it?”

“Eren, I don't have to 'see' it to know that a man his size is sporting a serious dong,” he adds.

“Use lots and lots of lube,” Eren suggests with a smile.

“And what about you and Levi? Have you two gotten that far?”

“What? God no!” she adds with more enthusiasm than she intended.

“I heard it only hurts a little bit,” Armin says with a smile.

“I don't want it to hurt period,” she adds flatly. 

“I'm surprised you and Jean never...”

“Oh, please. Horse face is not the man I want to be my first anything. He was crude and rude and not very nice when it came to the physical side of things.”

“But he was your first love,” Armin adds softly.

“That was the hormones talking,” Eren huffs. “Hell, I'd much rather be with you than someone like him.”

That peaks Armin's interest. “You've thought about being with me?”

“What? I...no, I mean, well, yes, of course. You're my best friend and so cute! But no, I never really wanted to just in case things turned sour. I'd rather have you for a friend, Armin, than a short term lover,” she adds while kissing his cheek. “I love you, Armin Arlert, and don't you forget it.”

“I love you too, Eren Jaeger, but don't tell Levi. He'll skin me alive!”

She smiles at him. “Levi wouldn't dare hurt you not if he wants to keep my interested.”

“So you really like the guy then?”

“I love him,” she admits. Then her eyes fly open wide as she realizes what she's just said. Her lips part slightly and her cheeks heat up. 

Armin leans in saying, “Don't worry. Your secret's safe with me.”


End file.
